源聚合

Крупнейшая по объему торгов криптобиржа Binance объявила, что 26 февраля проведет делистинг ряда торговых пар с токенами в кросс-маржинальной торговле из-за низких объемов и ликвидности.

Аналитики CryptoQuant зафиксировали ослабление продаж на крупнейшей бирже Binance: давление на рынок со стороны продавцов снижается, что открывает окно для возможного восстановления.

Конкурсный управляющий разорившейся криптоплощадки Terraform Тодд Снайдер (Todd Snyder) подал иск в федеральный суд Манхэттена против трейдинговой компании Jane Street, обвинив ее в использовании конфиденциальной информации при операциях с токенами Terra.

Bitcoin treasury company Strategy has completed a new purchase of 593 BTC, the firm’s 100th overall acquisition since it started accumulating.

Strategy Has Added 592 BTC To Its Treasury

In a new post on X, Strategy co-founder and chairman Michael Saylor has announced the latest BTC acquisition made by the company. This buy, which cost the firm a total of $39.8 million, involved 592 tokens. In terms of scale, the acquisition isn’t anything impressive by Strategy’s standards, but it does mark an important milestone: it’s the 100th purchase completed by the firm.

Strategy first started accumulating Bitcoin back in 2020 and in that time, the company has made only one sale. The sale in question occurred back in December 2022, when BTC was trading at the lows of last cycle’s bear market. Besides this, the firm has shown strong conviction toward the cryptocurrency, with purchases only becoming more regular as time has gone on.

Following the 100th buy by Strategy, its total holdings have grown to 717,722 BTC, equivalent to nearly 3.6% of the entire BTC supply in circulation. The company spent a total of $54.56 billion on this stack, but today, it is only worth $46.48 billion, meaning that the firm is in a loss of nearly 15%.

Speaking of loss, Strategy has a reputation of buying at or near local tops in the asset. The same appears to have been the case this time as well, with the cryptocurrency currently down almost 4% from the new purchase’s cost basis of $67,286 per token.

According to the filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Strategy made the latest acquisition between February 17th and 22nd, and funded it using sales from the firm’s MSTR at-the-market (ATM) stock offering program.

With each new purchase, Strategy is only solidifying its status as the number one Bitcoin treasury company in the world, as the table from BitcoinTreasuries.net shows.

Strategy is also not only the largest holder of BTC, it’s the largest public digital asset treasury company in general. The spot for the second largest is held by Bitmine, a Bitcoin mining company that adopted an Ethereum treasury strategy last year.

Bitmine has also participated in Ethereum accumulation during the past week, as announced in a Monday press release. The firm has added 51,162 ETH to its treasury with this buying spree, taking the total reserve amount to 4,422,659 ETH, equivalent to 3.66% of the ETH circulating supply.

Out of this, the company has locked 3,040,483 ETH into the staking contract. Bitmine chairman Thomas “Tom” Lee said:

In the midst of this ‘mini crypto winter,’ our focus continues to be on methodically executing our treasury strategy and steadily acquiring ETH and in turn, optimizing the yield on our ETH holdings.

BTC Price

At the time of writing, Bitcoin is floating around $65,100, down more than 4% over the last seven days.

Входящий в экосистему Solana проект Step Finance объявил о закрытии своих дочерних структур SolanaFloor и Remora Markets после взлома на сумму более $27 млн и неудачных попыток привлечь финансирование.

Стоимость биткоин-резервов крупнейшего публичного корпоративного держателя BTC, компании Strategy, снизилась на $9,2 млрд на фоне падения крипторынка, свидетельствуют данные платформы DropsTab.

Центральный банк Южной Кореи заявил, что выпуск стейблкоинов, привязанных к корейской воне, должен осуществляться исключительно коммерческими банками.

Binance.US, the American affiliate of the global crypto exchange, is reportedly exploring expanding within the US to develop and offer “superior products” to the American market, following the Trump administration’s easing of enforcement actions and push for a clear regulatory framework.

Binance.US Eyes Local Growth

On Monday, Bloomberg reported that Binance founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao shared Binance.US’s plan to expand its business in the US market to enhance accessibility to American customers.

In an interview at the Mar-a-Lago forum hosted by the Trump family’s World Liberty Financial (WLFI), he affirmed that the platform wants to “bring a superior product into the US,” adding, “We want to make the superior product offering much more accessible to the US consumer.”

Zhao, also known as CZ, clarified that his remarks concerned only the US affiliate, not the global exchange, noting that he doesn’t run Binance. He also asserted that his role as the exchange’s leader is “a chapter that’s closed.”

Notably, CZ stepped down as Binance’s CEO after pleading guilty to Anti-Money Laundering (AML) violations in 2023 while leading the crypto exchange. Despite this, he remained the majority shareholder of Binance.US. In October 2025, CZ was pardoned by US President Donald Trump.

In 2023, the global exchange also pleaded guilty to federal charges and agreed to pay over $4 billion to resolve the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) investigation.

Despite the potential expansion, Zhao acknowledged that the exchange faces obstacles following the now-dropped 2023 lawsuit by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which led to a significant loss in banking access and market share.

The former CEO believes that under the more accommodating regulatory climate, options that used to be out of reach, such as deeper banking ties or pursuing a crypto national bank charter, now seem “totally possible.” Nonetheless, he stressed such a move would “depend on the right team and legal guidance.”

A Binance.US spokeswoman told Bloomberg that the company “remains committed to being the best platform for users to buy, trade, and earn digital assets in the US. We continue to actively build and grow our platform through new products and offerings, enhancing our ability to deliver an experience that meets the evolving needs of crypto investors.”

US Crypto Regulatory Landscape

During a January interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Binance CEO Richard Teng called America a very important market, adding that the global exchange is taking a “wait-and-see” approach to reentering the US.

Teng also discussed the state of US crypto regulations, affirming that “any regulation will be better than no regulation.” He argued that having regulatory clarity will allow crypto companies to navigate the market effectively.

His comments followed concerns about the passage of the crypto market structure bill, which has been stalled at the Senate Banking Committee for over a month. The legislation’s January markup was delayed after part of the crypto industry withdrew its support for the bill over stablecoin rewards.

The draft proposed that issuers offer rewards for specific actions, such as account openings and cashback, but also prohibited issuers from providing interest payments to passive token holders.

According to reports from the latest White House Crypto Council meeting to discuss the dispute, the debate was narrowed to whether crypto firms can offer rewards linked to specific activities, as “earning yield on idle balances (…) is effectively off the table.”

The White House also proposed anti-evasion language to give the SEC, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and the Department of the Treasury authority to enforce a ban on paying yield on idle stablecoin balances.

Following the meeting, some attendees believe the legislation could meet the White House’s end-of-month deadline set last week and reach President Trump’s desk soon.

Организованный президентом США Дональдом Трампом «Совет мира» рассматривает возможность создания долларового стейблкоина для проведения платежей в секторе Газа, сообщает Financial Times со ссылкой на источники.

Инвестиционный директор управляющей криптоактивами компании Bitwise Мэтт Хоуган (Matt Hougan) заявил, что биткоин находится на «подростковой» стадии развития — промежуточном этапе между спекулятивным активом и глобальным средством сбережения.

Ethereum is struggling to hold above the $2,000 level as the broader crypto market enters a more fragile phase marked by persistent selling pressure, fading momentum, and elevated uncertainty. Despite several rebound attempts in recent weeks, price action has remained subdued, with liquidity conditions tightening and investor sentiment turning increasingly cautious. The inability to secure sustained acceptance above this psychological threshold has reinforced the perception that the market is still navigating a corrective environment rather than transitioning into a clear recovery phase.

A recent CryptoQuant report provides additional context by highlighting a sharp increase in exchange activity. According to the data, total Ethereum inflows to Binance over the past 30 days reached roughly $33.3 billion — the highest level recorded since last November. This surge comes as ETH trades near $1,955 after a gradual but persistent decline in recent weeks.

Historically, rising inflows to major exchanges tend to indicate a growing supply of assets available for trading. When substantial volumes of Ethereum move onto platforms like Binance, they may be used for spot sales, derivatives collateral, or portfolio rebalancing. Consequently, this spike in inflows signals heightened market activity and potentially increased short-term volatility.

Exchange Inflows Surge As Market Tests Supply Absorption

While the recent surge in Ethereum inflows to Binance may initially appear bearish, the report emphasizes that this development should not automatically be interpreted as a negative signal. Elevated exchange inflows can sometimes reflect strategic repositioning rather than immediate selling intent. Investors may be preparing to actively trade, hedge exposure, or adjust portfolio allocations, particularly during periods of heightened volatility when liquidity access becomes more critical.

In addition, strong inflow phases have occasionally preceded periods of price stabilization. When additional supply entering exchanges is met by sufficient demand, markets can transition into consolidation rather than extended declines. This dynamic often depends on broader liquidity conditions, derivatives positioning, and macro sentiment rather than inflows alone.

That said, registering the highest inflow level since last November places Ethereum in a structurally sensitive phase. The market’s reaction to these flows will likely provide clearer directional signals in the coming weeks. If the added supply translates into persistent sell-side pressure, downside risks could remain elevated. Conversely, if demand absorbs this liquidity effectively, the current phase may represent redistribution ahead of a more constructive move rather than sustained weakness.

Ethereum Price Holds Fragile Ground Below Key Resistance

Ethereum’s weekly chart reflects a structurally fragile environment as price continues trading below the $2,000 psychological threshold. After failing to sustain momentum above the mid-2025 highs near the $4,800 region, ETH has established a sequence of lower highs and lower lows — a classic downtrend formation indicating persistent distribution rather than consolidation.

Technically, Ethereum is now positioned beneath its key moving averages, which previously acted as dynamic support during the rally phase. These averages have rolled over and now function as resistance zones, limiting recovery attempts unless decisively reclaimed. The recent rejection near the $3,000 area reinforced this bearish transition, accelerating downside momentum toward the current ~$1,900 region.

Volume trends show declining participation compared with the expansion phase, suggesting reduced speculative enthusiasm. However, declining volume during corrections can sometimes precede stabilization if selling pressure becomes exhausted.

From a structural perspective, immediate support appears near the $1,800–$1,900 range, where prior consolidation occurred. A sustained break below this zone could expose deeper retracement levels toward historical accumulation areas. Conversely, reclaiming the $2,200–$2,400 region with strong volume would be required to shift short-term momentum back toward a neutral or constructive bias.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

Председатель крупнейшего корпоративного держателя BTC компании Strategy Майкл Сейлор (Michael Saylor) заявил, что восстановление рынка биткоина может занять от двух до семи лет.

Crypto.com has received conditional approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish a national trust bank. The firm said that the approval allows the company to charter Foris Dax National Trust Bank, which will operate under the name Crypto.com National Trust Bank once it secures full authorization. 

Crypto.com Advances Regulated Custody Plans

Kris Marszalek, Co‑Founder and CEO of Crypto.com, described the development as a reflection of the company’s focus on regulatory compliance and customer protection. 

According to Marszalek, achieving full approval would position the firm as a “one‑stop shop” qualified custodian operating under what he characterized as a gold standard of federal supervision.

The company said it intends to provide custody, asset staking across multiple blockchains and digital asset protocols — including its Cronos network — as well as trade settlement services within a regulated framework.

Yet, Crypto.com is not alone in pursuing this regulatory pathway. Over the past year, the OCC has approved national trust charter applications from several major digital asset firms, including Circle’s First National Digital Currency Bank, Ripple National Trust Bank, BitGo Bank & Trust, Fidelity Digital Assets, and Paxos Trust Company. 

More recently, Bridge — a stablecoin infrastructure provider owned by Stripe — said it also secured conditional approval to establish a national trust bank.

If finalized, these charters would allow crypto companies to hold and manage customer assets directly, potentially streamlining payment processing and accelerating settlement times. However, the OCC’s recent approvals have drawn scrutiny from traditional banking groups. 

ABA Urges OCC To Halt Crypto Trust Bank Approvals

The American Bankers Association (ABA) last week called on the OCC to pause further approvals for crypto and stablecoin firms until there is greater clarity surrounding the regulatory framework tied to the GENIUS Act. 

The ABA urged the regulator not to move forward with applications if the full scope of regulatory obligations — including requirements that may arise under future GENIUS Act rulemaking — has not been clearly defined.

In its comments, the association cautioned that uninsured national trust banks focused primarily on digital assets present unresolved safety and soundness concerns. 

Among the issues cited were the segregation of customer assets, potential conflicts of interest, alleged cybersecurity risks, operational resilience, and how such institutions would be handled in the event of failure.

Meanwhile, interest in national trust bank status continues to grow within the digital asset sector. In January, World Liberty Financial (WLFI) said that one of its subsidiaries had filed an application to form a national trust bank centered on stablecoin operations.

However, at the time of writing, the exchange’s native token, CRO, was trading at $0.074, according to CoinGecko data, registering a 20% loss in the monthly time frame. 

Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com

Bitcoin is struggling to hold the $65,000 level as market sentiment drifts toward apathy following weeks of muted price action and declining participation. Volatility has compressed noticeably, and traders appear hesitant to commit fresh capital while macro uncertainty and liquidity constraints continue to weigh on risk assets. The lack of decisive momentum has left Bitcoin consolidating near a technically sensitive zone, where both bulls and bears seem reluctant to take aggressive positions.

A recent CryptoQuant report provides additional context through on-chain positioning data. According to the analysis, during the early February correction, the indicator dropped to roughly -0.0016, reflecting measurable weakness in underlying network activity. This development occurred after Bitcoin had already closed below the Anchored Volume Weighted Average Price (AVWAP) tied to the most recent halving on the weekly timeframe — a level often monitored as a structural reference for market positioning.

Trading below this anchored metric suggests reduced conviction among market participants and potentially weaker cost-basis support. While such conditions do not necessarily imply imminent downside, they typically correspond with transitional phases marked by uncertainty, subdued participation, and cautious capital deployment as the market searches for directional clarity.

Bearish Confluence Signals Echo Prior Cycle Dynamics

The report highlights that the last comparable bearish confluence following an all-time high occurred in May 2022, a period that ultimately preceded a prolonged corrective phase. According to the analysis, this comparison is based on a combination of structural indicators rather than isolated price action, specifically the BTC Growth Rate Difference between Market Cap and Realized Cap — an indicator developed by CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju — alongside Anchored VWAP levels tied to the third and fourth Bitcoin halvings.

The Growth Rate Difference metric evaluates whether market capitalization expansion is outpacing the underlying realized capitalization, which reflects the aggregated cost basis of coins on-chain. When this gap narrows or turns negative, it often signals weakening speculative momentum and reduced capital inflows relative to existing holder positioning.

At the same time, Bitcoin trading below key halving-anchored AVWAP levels suggests diminished structural support from long-term cost bases. Historically, these levels have functioned as reference zones for institutional and macro-oriented investors.

Together, these indicators do not guarantee further downside, but they do indicate a fragile market structure. Such conditions typically require either renewed liquidity inflows or sustained accumulation before a convincing recovery phase can develop.

Bitcoin Price Tests Key Support As Downtrend Persists

Bitcoin’s weekly structure continues to reflect a corrective phase, with price struggling to stabilize near the mid-$60,000 range after a sharp rejection from the $110,000–$120,000 zone seen late last year. The chart shows a clear transition from bullish expansion to distribution, followed by a sustained sequence of lower highs and lower lows — a pattern typically associated with weakening momentum rather than consolidation.

Technically, Bitcoin is now trading below major moving averages that previously acted as dynamic support. The shorter-term average has already rolled over decisively, while the longer-term trend line remains upward sloping but increasingly distant from current price action. Sustained trading beneath these levels usually reflects cautious sentiment and reduced upside conviction.

Volume spikes during recent selloffs suggest active distribution rather than passive drift lower. However, declining participation afterward could indicate partial exhaustion of aggressive sellers, potentially opening the door for a stabilization phase if demand returns.

From a structural perspective, the $60,000–$62,000 zone appears to function as immediate support, while the $70,000–$75,000 range represents the first meaningful resistance band. Unless Bitcoin decisively reclaims higher levels with strong volume, the broader trend remains fragile, with consolidation or additional downside risk still plausible.

Featured image from ChatGPT, chart from TradingView.com 

The crypto market has started the week under pressure as macroeconomic uncertainty and trade tensions unsettled investors, briefly pushing Bitcoin below $65,000 and driving a surge in online panic signals. The latest decline has closely followed global economic headlines rather than crypto-specific factors.

On Feb. 23, Bitcoin dropped to nearly $64,400 within hours, dragging major altcoins lower and wiping billions from total market value. The move coincided with escalating tariff concerns after U.S. President Donald Trump announced an increase in global import tariffs to 15%, amplifying fears of slower economic growth.

Fear Spikes as Retail Sentiment on Bitcoin (BTC) Deteriorates

Retail sentiment has weakened sharply as prices struggle around $65,000, with fear increasingly visible across market indicators. Online search behavior reflects growing anxiety, as data from Google Trends shows a record surge in searches for “Bitcoin to zero.”

Technical indicators show Bitcoin (BTC) struggling to maintain key support levels amid heightened selling pressure. Spot trading volumes dropped by nearly 59%, limiting liquidity and amplifying price swings. Derivatives markets also reflect caution: open interest fell to $19.5 billion, roughly half of January’s peak.

Price charts indicate further downside if support near $64,000 fails, with $60,000 as the key lower target. The 20-day moving average around $68,278 and the lower Bollinger Band near $64,098 show range-bound pressure, while mild outflows and clustered leveraged longs between $64,090–$64,536 could trigger liquidations.

Macro Shocks Weigh on Crypto Markets

Analysts linked the sell-off to a combination of weakening economic indicators and risk-off sentiment. U.S. housing data showed declining pending home sales, while currency markets reacted to expectations of tighter policy from the Bank of Japan, strengthening the yen and prompting global funds to reduce leverage.

Similarly, whale activity added pressure. On-chain data showed large holders moving coins onto exchanges, a signal often associated with selling. Spot trading volumes also dropped significantly, suggesting limited liquidity to absorb sudden moves.

The broader market followed Bitcoin lower. Ethereum fell roughly 5%, while other major tokens posted losses between 3% and 8%. Additional attention came after Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin sold millions of dollars worth of ETH, reinforcing concerns about near-term supply pressure.

Market participants now view the $60,000 level as a key support zone. Analysts warn that a sustained break below it could trigger large liquidations, while recovery above the mid-$60,000 range may stabilize sentiment.

Cover image from ChatGPT, BTCUSD chart from Tradingview

A man asking for just a few coins ended up hitting the jackpot. What started as a simple request for four Solana tokens turned into a massive payout when an experimental crypto agent transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of meme tokens to his wallet, giving the self-described beggar an unexpected windfall.

Lobstar Wilde, an AI agent run by an OpenAI staffer, appears to have emptied a meme-token wallet in a single public move that stunned parts of crypto Twitter and on-chain watchers.

Reports say the agent sent roughly $441,780 worth of tokens to an X user who only asked for four Solana coins to pay for an uncle’s medical treatment. The transfer, and the agent’s later flippant replies, raised questions about how much power a script should have over real money.

Agent Sent Money By Mistake To Solana Beggar

According to on-chain records and social posts, the Lobstar Wilde account publicly showed the transfer and then posted mocking messages about the recipient’s situation.

“If he died tomorrow I would laugh. Please send updates,” Lobstar said, while linking the transaction showing $441,788 worth of LOBSTAR tokens sent to Treasure David’s requested Solana wallet address on Sunday.

If he died tomorrow I would laugh. Please send updates.https://t.co/5D46ClTWZ0 https://t.co/CNMQf04yd6

— Lobstar Wilde (@LobstarWilde) February 22, 2026

Costly Error

Nik Pash, a developer involved with OpenAI’s “Codex” app for building autonomous programs, launched Lobstar Wilde on Friday with a goal of growing $50,000 worth of Solana tokens into $1 million through crypto trading.

But instead it appears to have sent most of its token stash away in a single transaction. The public thread and wallet movements were tracked in real time by a handful of crypto trackers and reporters.

Speculation has focused on a decimal slip. Reports note that the bot likely intended to send a modest token amount — the equivalent of four SOL — but misread token decimals and issued tens of millions of LOBSTAR tokens instead of a small handful.

Wrote a little retrospective pic.twitter.com/kDYt9yYmXP

— pash (@pashmerepat) February 23, 2026

That kind of mistake is common with custom tokens that use unusual decimal places. One X user who monitored the trade noted that a chunk of the received tokens was quickly swapped, netting about $40,000 for the recipient.

Guardrails Missing After Risky Setup

This was not a hack in the classic sense. The AI had the authority to move funds. It executed a transfer without human sign-off. That is a design choice, and it matters. Autonomous agents that trade need limits: caps on single transfers, multi-signature holds for large moves, or human confirmation gates.

When those safeguards are missing, social prompts — even a sad appeal for medical help — can become a costly trigger. Past incidents show a pattern: another AI-driven system lost 55.5 ETH after an attacker used an exposed control panel to force transfers. That episode heightened concerns about how agents are managed.

Across markets, Bitcoin’s price has been a quiet backdrop to this story. Recent trading saw BTC slip from levels near $67,000 toward the mid-$60,000s as broader risk sentiment shifted, and some of those swings coincided with headlines about trade policy from US leaders.

Traders watching the Lobstar Wilde saga noted how quickly a small social nudge can cascade in a market already sensitive to macro news.

Featured image from Vecteezy, chart from TradingView

The market tumbled sharply on Monday, with BTC briefly slipping below $65,000, as traders reacted to a mix of U.S. trade policy shifts, geopolitical risks, and looming economic data. The sudden losses erased weekend gains and pushed the market deeper into extreme fear, currently at 5.

Total crypto market capitalization fell roughly 3–5% within a day, sliding toward the $2.2 trillion mark. The downturn coincided with rising geopolitical risks and sweeping tariff measures announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, which unsettled broader financial markets and reduced appetite for risk assets.

Trade Tensions and Macro Risks Drive Sell-Off

Market volatility intensified after the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that parts of earlier tariff programs exceeded presidential authority. Shortly after, Trump introduced new global tariffs of up to 15% under separate trade powers, raising concerns about slower global growth and persistent inflation.

Escalating tensions between the United States and Iran added another layer of uncertainty, pushing investors toward traditional safe-haven assets such as gold. Crypto assets, which had previously benefited from a “digital gold” narrative, instead behaved more like high-risk investments during the latest market stress.

Large-holder selling also contributed to downside pressure, with increased transfers from whale wallets to exchanges signaling potential liquidation activity. Analysts noted that thin liquidity and weak conviction among buyers amplified price swings.

Economic Data And Policy Decisions in Focus

Investors are now watching upcoming economic indicators closely. Consumer confidence data, jobless claims, and producer price inflation figures are expected to shape expectations around interest rates. Recent inflation readings above forecasts have reduced hopes for near-term monetary easing by the Federal Reserve.

Meanwhile, the central bank is scheduled to inject roughly $14.6 billion into financial markets, a move some analysts believe could provide temporary support for speculative assets, though not equivalent to full stimulus measures.

Technology earnings are also on the radar, particularly results from Nvidia, whose performance often influences sentiment across both tech equities and crypto markets.

Liquidations Rise as Fear Dominates Sentiment

Market data shows more than $460 million in leveraged positions were wiped out during the latest decline, with long traders accounting for the majority of losses. Institutional flows have weakened as well, with exchange-traded crypto funds recording notable outflows.

Additional supply pressure emerged after mining firm Bitdeer sold its entire weekly production, while public commentary from industry figures, including Michael Saylor, suggested long-term optimism remains despite short-term weakness.

The Crypto Fear and Greed Index has dropped into extreme fear territory, reflecting cautious positioning across the market. Until macroeconomic clarity improves, analysts expect volatility to remain elevated as traders weigh policy risks against longer-term adoption trends.

Cover image from ChatGPT, BTCUSD chart from Tradingview

Bitcoin (BTC) could be gearing up for further losses, as a crypto analyst has issued a severely foreboding forecast. According to his analysis, Bitcoin’s current structure shows a predominantly bearish trend, with price expected to reach a bottom below $30,000 before any potential reversal to the upside. 

Bitcoin Repeats 2022 Style Bear Market

Crypto market analyst Jussy has published a new Bitcoin chart analysis on X, warning that the market may not have reached its final bottom yet. The chart compares the current weekly structure to Bitcoin’s 2022 cycle, showing nearly identical price behaviour following a double top formation and a bear flag that led to a major breakdown.

In 2022, Bitcoin first printed a double top near the upper resistance zone above $60,000. It was then rejected from the rounded top structure, reversing into a sustained downside trend. After this, the price experienced a sharp breakdown, followed by a three-week consolidation phase that developed into a bear flag pattern.

That consolidation acted as a brief pause before a bearish continuation, with BTC ultimately collapsing by another 38.96% from the bear flag range. Consequently, the final leg down erased roughly $11,095, carrying the price into a long-term support zone where the market finally hit a bottom and began to stabilize ahead of a recovery.   

Interestingly, Jussy argues that the current Bitcoin cycle is now reproducing the same bear market structure seen in 2022 almost perfectly. The right side of the chart shows that BTC formed a similar double-top pattern above the $120,000 region in 2025, only to roll over and break down sharply. This correction pushed the price below the key horizontal level near $74,321, which previously acted as support.

Following this drop, Bitcoin entered a consolidation phase that closely resembled the 2022 bear flag. The structure slopes downward, reflecting a major price compression following the first large wick to the downside. According to Jussy, Bitcoin is now in the third week of this consolidation window, the same point in time where the 2022 market transitioned into its final price crash.  

The Bottom Target

Using the same percentage decline from the 2022 breakdown, Jussy has predicted how low the Bitcoin price could fall before it attempts a notable recovery. His chart suggests that BTC has already begun its descent from the bear flag pattern, initially crashing below the $100,000 region and now trading near $65,000. 

Now, the analyst projects another corrective move of approximately 38% from the former support level around $74,320, potentially driving Bitcoin’s price down to roughly $46,199. The blue line below this zone in the price chart represents Bitcoin’s final downside target. Jussy predicts an even deeper decline to $28,301, marking BTC’s price bottom before any meaningful recovery takes hold. 

A thread sparked by Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas reignited one of crypto’s oldest arguments: whether Bitcoin’s core value proposition has been diluted as institutional intermediaries take center stage. What began as a reflection on crypto’s real-world utility quickly turned into a pointed dispute over whether BTC can credibly be called “debasement-resistant” while it remains wildly volatile.

Bitcoin Identity Debate Explodes on X

Balchunas weighed in after Cooper Turley, founder of Coop Records, posted that crypto feels “in the weirdest spot” since 2017 and that beyond speculation it’s “hard to see how it adds meaningful value to people’s lives.” Balchunas’ response framed Bitcoin’s novelty less as a product category and more as a monetary property set.

“Seeing this a lot. My two cents: the novel value of bitcoin is that it is user-run money that is both censorship and debasement-resistant,” Balchunas wrote. “Far as I can tell nothing has changed about that. However bc the current admin is so on board with it, the censorship part may seem less valuable, but just wait a few yrs, that could come in handy (it already does in many emerging/frontier mkt countries).. and debasement is alive and well, even dogs know that ain’t ever stopping.”

He argued that Bitcoin’s “youth” is a major driver of volatility, and that market price tends to hijack the narrative. “Price is a smoke screen that the most successful investors have learned to see through/ignore,” he added, extending the critique to traditional markets as well.

The “co-opted” question surfaced explicitly when Balchunas addressed long-time holders uneasy with BTC being increasingly accessed through Wall Street wrappers. His take: the asset didn’t change; the gatekeepers did.

“And for the OGs feeling like the establishment has co-opted their ‘outsider’ money.. all that really happened was the intermediaries got upgraded,” Balchunas wrote. “You went from paying high fees to SBF only for him to ‘lose’ your money to Larry Fink et al, who do same thing (outsourced your btc) but in a way that’s much cheaper and safer. Underlying btc hasn’t changed at all the whole time.”

Is Bitcoin Still A Debasement-Trade?

That framing didn’t satisfy critics who see Bitcoin’s volatility as fatal to the “debasement-resistant” label. Host of Chicago Future of Finance Oliver Renick pushed back sharply, arguing that a money that can swing the way Bitcoin does is effectively experiencing repeated “debasement events” by any practical standard.

“Debasement-resistant is biggest error here IMO,” Renick wrote. “If the dollar were down as much as btc can do on any given week, the world would go nuts, i.e, bitcoins volatility goes thru a debasement event like 3 times a year compared to the dollar where a 2% is a big deal. It’s rly bad money.”

Balchunas conceded the point partially on timeframe: “I think more longer term but it’s a fair point” but the exchange escalated when Renick questioned Bitcoin’s staying power. “And there it gets crushed again versus dollar and gold. Bitcoin may not make it to its 20th birthday, who knows,” he wrote.

Balchunas responded by pointing to recent performance as evidence that Bitcoin has “banked” substantial gains, citing “2023 and 2024” and “450%.” Renick’s rebuttal remained categorical: “Again , volatility intolerable of money.” Balchunas agreed Bitcoin is “too volatile rn to be widespread currency” and needs to “mature and settle down,” but rejected the conclusion that this reduces Bitcoin to censorship resistance alone.

“So that leaves you with just censorship resistance,” Renick wrote, suggesting that value might be far lower — “maybe $10k a coin” — before Balchunas returned to first principles: “It is debasement resistant, govt can’t dilute it- that’s true even if it is volatile.”

Balchunas closed by challenging the idea that shorter windows are dispositive, contrasting gold’s “20%” rise in “2023 + 2024” with Bitcoin’s “450%” move, and returning to the “young asset” thesis: it “gets ahead of itself then falls.”

The thread leaves a familiar fault line exposed. For Balchunas, institutional plumbing doesn’t change Bitcoin’s properties, and volatility is a maturity problem that can coexist with long-term dilution resistance. For critics, volatility isn’t a side effect, it’s the disqualifier, collapsing the “money” narrative and forcing a narrower censorship-resistance-only valuation debate.

At press time, BTC traded at $66,207.

The Bitcoin price is currently consolidating near $65,000 on the weekly chart, with crypto analyst Doctor Profit warning that the market remains locked inside a broader bear market structure. In a “special Bitcoin report” released this week, the analyst reviewed past price movements and trends, assessed the market’s current position, and outlined what could unfold next. The report’s structure highlights a progression from euphoric peak to major capitulation and price declines, followed by stabilization and the possibility of a trend reversal. 

From Market Euphoria To A Major Bitcoin Price Crash

In an X post on February 22, Doctor Profit shared a Bitcoin price report, outlining six stages of the bear market based on patterns he has observed in every major Bitcoin cycle. His framework emphasized recurring drivers such as liquidity mechanics, leverage positioning, and predictable human behavior under stress and panic. 

For Stage 1, Doctor Profit stated Bitcoin saw euphoric buying between $115,000 and $125,000 in 2025. He noted that despite the extreme bullish sentiment, the market was overleveraged and overloaded. Extended sideways movement also occurred at these highs, fueled by sudden price spikes, which created an illusion of strength. According to the analyst, late market participants believed risk had disappeared, while price predictions reached extreme levels, reflecting the highest phase of greed. 

Following this, Stage 2 began when Bitcoin dropped below the $100,000 psychological level. Doctor Proft explained that this level was critical because its loss triggered stress among short-term investors and forced leveraged traders out. He stated that the price drop was rapid and dramatic, with the October 10, 2025, flash crash producing the largest liquidation event in crypto history within hours. 

Subsequently, Doctor Profit revealed that Stage 3 confirmed the bear market through an even more brutal decline. He stated that the Bitcoin price had fallen from $97,000 in January 2026 to $47,000 in February, representing a more than 50% crash from the all-time highs in just 30 days. The analyst emphasized that this phase was the fastest and most punishing, leaving many investors in deep panic and forcing them to incur losses they could not mitigate quickly enough. He noted that nearly half of Bitcoin’s market capitalization was wiped out during this short period, completing what he described as a “violent mechanical repricing.”

Where The Market Stands And What Comes Next

In his report, Doctor Profit noted that Bitcoin is currently in Stage 4 of his bear market framework. He said that this phase is characterized by dehydration, depression, and liquidity creation. The chart shows clearly defined sideways, marking upside and downside boundaries. According to the analyst, this current stage is less violent than the previous one. However, it extremely exhausts retail traders, generating liquidity as market makers trap both breakout traders and breakdown sellers. 

The analyst stated that Stage 4 also drives the largest short-term holder capitulation. He noted that retail traders who missed selling in earlier stages are now exiting at a loss. As a result, he expects a short-to-mid-term bounce between $57,000 and $60,000 within the current sideways range. Following this, a breakdown toward Stage 5 is more likely to occur in the next few months.

Notably, Doctor Profit described Stage 5 as the “true capitulation phase.” He stated that this stage will bring total fear and panic, potentially involving the collapse of a major player or a black swan event. The analyst updated his previous Bitcoin projections of $40,000-$50,000 to an ultimate bottom of $35,000-$45,000. This suggests another significant downside from current levels, where the analyst says the capitulation will likely play out. 

For the final phase, Doctor Profit said Stage 6 will combine continued sideways movement with structural recovery. He stated that selling pressure will gradually decrease and the market will begin creating the foundations for its next bullish cycle. He added that large players could also begin accumulating here, while retail investors may become greedy for lower prices and ultimately miss the true market bottom. He said this would be a perfect repeat of every bull cycle, where retail investors buy high and sell low.